Automatic screw sorting machine



Oct. 11, I932. N. E. FIELDER L s AUTOMATIC SCREW SORTING MACKIINE Filed July 15, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 1 NIH FIG. 6.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Uct. H, 1932. i FIELDER L32J3 AUTOMATIC SCREW SORTING MACHINE Filed July 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w 9 N h- II b N INVENTOR N. E. FIELDER ATTORNEYS Get. 11, 1932. N. E. FIELDER AUTOMATIC SCREW SORTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 15, 1929 INVENTOR N. E FIELDER ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 11 1932 UNITED sr-A'rss PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC SCREW SOB'IING MACHINE Application filed July 15,

This invention relates to sorting machines.

An object of the invention is the provision of a sorting machine capable of receiving a f mixture of different sizes of material and '5 segregating the different sizes into separate ou s.

Arihther ob'ect is the provision of a sorting machine as escribed, which is capable of operating satisfactorily upon various kinds 1 of material. Whereas the machine is particularly designed to sort headed pins such as screws, bolts, nails, rivets and the like, itis also capable of being employed to sort such articles as ball bearings.

A further'object is the provision of a sorting machine which is capable of operating automatically, and which requires the services of an attendant for no purpose other than to supply the machine with material to be sorted and to remove from the machine,

the several collections of segregated material.

The invention possesses other objects and advantageous features, some of which, with those enumerated, will be set forth in the following description of the inventions particular embodiment which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sorting machine incorporating the essential features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation partly broken away and shown in section. The direction of View is indicated by the arrow 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, through the driving shaft, to show the remainder of the machine in end elevation. The direction of view is indicated by the arrows. This figure shows the feeding hopper in non-feeding position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the hopper elevated to feeding position; Fig. 5 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, with the direction of view as indicated bythe arrows;

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken upon the line 6--6 of Fig. 2, with the direction of view as indicated.

1929. Serial No. 878,584.

In terms of broad inclusion, the sorting machine of the present invention, comprises a pair of divergently arranged and helically grooved shafts journalled and coupled to gether for rotation in opposite directions. 5 Means are provided for preferably periodlcally depositing material to be sorted upon the ends of the shafts which are closest together. From this point the material thus deposited upon the shafts, is carried toward 0 the other ends thereof by the engagement of the material within the helical grooves; and when each piece of the material reaches that point at which the shafts are far enough apart to' permit the piece to drop therebetween, that piece of material falls into a bin dlsposed below the shaft and provided with adJustable means for dividing the bin into a plurality of compartments wherein the several groups of sorted material will collect. 7 Means are also provided for varying the angle of divergence of the shafts, as well as for. varying both the maximum and minimum distances between the shafts, whereby the machine may be adjusted to accommodate different kinds of material to be sorted.

Specifically describing the invention in its most practical embodiment of which I am at present aware, the sorting machine is mountedfupon a suitable framework'consisting of spaced legs 11 and 12. Each leg is provided with an angle iron 13 and 14 respectively, these members being rigidly attached to the legs 11 and 12 in any suitable manner such as by screws or bolts 16 passing through the 35 vertical legs 17 of the angle irons. The horizontal legs 18 are each provided with a transversely extending slot 19, and each supports a pair of bearing blocks 21. Each bearing block 21 is provided with a stud 22 rigid with the bottom thereof and extending downwards through the slot 19 of the associated angle iron 13, there being a nut 23 and washer 24 upon each stud 22, whereby the associated bearing block 21 may be clamped in adjusted position.

A pair of shafts 26 extend longitudinally of the machine, each shaft having a reduced portion 27 journalled in one of the bearing blocks21. Each shaft 26 is also provided adjacent one endthereof with .a gear 28 figidly mounted thereupon. The gears 28 are,

enmeshed with each other so that the shafts 26 are interengaged for rotation together in op osite directions.

urthermore, the gears 28 are of the same ,the bottoms of these grooves, are rounded asclearly shown in the drawings.

It is readily ap arent that by loosening the nuts 23 where y the bearing blocks 21 are clamped to their respective an leirons 13 o'r'14, the spacing between the s 'afts 26, may be varied. It is intended that when the machine is in use, the shafts 26 shall be divergently disposed as clearly shown upon Fig. 1, with the ends of the shafts toward the left of that figure further apart than the other ends. Not only can the angularity of the shafts be varied by this means, but also both the maxinium and minimum distances between the shafts may be varied within the limits of the permissible depth of engagement of the gears 28.

One of the shafts 26 is extended as at 31, and carries a suitable universal joint 32 to which a driving shaft 33 is connected. This shaft 33 is journalled in a suitable outboard bearing 34 which is carried by a bracket 36 secured to one of the legs 12. The shaft 33 carries a driving pulley 38 or its equivalent. Obviously, however, it would be en- .tirely within the scope of the invention to provide manually driven means for rotating the/ shafts instead of the pulley 36.

gems are provided for periodically dep I ting materials to be sorted upon the sorting screw shafts. A bracket 41 extending rigidly upwards from the leg 12, provides a journal for a stub shaft 42.upon which a gear 43 is secured. This gear 43 is considerably larger than either of the gears 28, and is enmeshed with 'one thereof, as clearly shown upon Figs. 3 and 4. Preferably the gear 43 with which it is enmeshed; with theresult that the stub shaft 42 rotates one-quarter as fast as the shafts 26. A feeding drum 46 is carried by the stub shaft 42, for rotation with the gear 43, and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 47 in its circumerential face. A feeding hopper 48 is mounted for rota movement upon the stub shaft 43'a rou y U-shaped bracket 49 within which theiopper 48 is mounted, having its ends 51 extended and provided with of carried teeth, so that the s afts rotate at the same which is ivoted to the hopper 48, and the other on to one arm 53 of. bell crank which is joumalled upon a suitable pin 54 I by an extension 56 of the bracket 41. The other arm 57 of the bell crank, is pivoted to a link 58 which intumis operably connected 'to a crank pin 59 carried by a disc 61' which is secured to the shaft' 42. Inasmuch as -the disc 61 turns with the shaft 42 the link 58 will be pulled downwards 0 once during each revolution of the stub shaft 42, causing the bell crank to be pivoted about its pivot 54, raising the arm .53 of the bell glapk, thus effecting raising of the ho per and arranged that t 's hpward pivotal movement of the hopper 48 occurs as the dischar e gate of the hopper 48 and the slot 47 in t e feeding drum 46, are in re istration with each other as indicated upon ig. 4. A guiding hopper 66 is disposed in such position that it receives material fallingfrom the slot 47 of the feeding drum 46 as the drum rotates and guides the falling ma-. terial onto thbse ends of the shafts 26 which are proximal to each other. This hopper 66 also carries a strip of leather 6 or other suitable material which is disposed above and closely adjacent the shafts 26, the urpose being to brush any material which happens to be restin upon other material supported by the sha s, off such other mate-- rial and directly onto the shafts themselves- A receiving bin 71 is mounted between the legs 11 and 12, and comprises a bottom 72, and front and back walls 73 and 74 'respec:

' tively. The walls are provided with spaced ranged in any desired relative positioning so as to divide the bin 71 into a plurality of compartments so disposed under the ace ivotal movement about the axes o the I stub s aft 42. The arts are so proportioned between the shafts 26, that the material allhasfour times as many teeth as the gear 28 ing through the space between the shafts,

will fall into these compartments and thus be retained as sorted by the divergent shafts.

It is also obvious that any other suitable of receiving bin may be employed. I r f r I single size and the size of the articles of each group being different from the size of articles ofthe other groups.

Operation After the bearing blocks 21 have been so arranged that the shafts 26 are disposed at the proper angularity with each other, the shafts should be put into rotation by starting the dfiving mechanism. Then the assortment of articles to be sorted, say for example, a collection of wood screws of mixed sizes, should be placed within the feeding hopper 48. Since the gear 43 is enmeshed with one of the gears 28, the feeding hopper 48 will be raised gradually as described hereina'bove. Thus the screws will be slid toward the feeding drum 46, permitting a few of the screws to lodge within the slot 47 with the result that as the feeding hopper 48 is lowered again, these screws will be carried by means of the drum, past top center position and dropped into the guiding hopper 66, so that they fall upon the shafts 26. Regardless of whether the screws fall upon the rollers in such posit-ion that their shanks extend downwards through the space between the shafts, or whether the shanks rest upon a plurality of the crests of the grooves 29, the heads of the screws will engage within the helicalgrooves, and thus be carried toward the op-- posite end of the machine, due to the rotation of the shafts. Should it happen that any of the screws, instead of falling directly upon the shafts, become lodged upon the top of other screws, the brush 67 will serve to remove these upper screws from those upon which they are resting, and cause them .to fall directly onto the shafts 26.

In this manner each screw will be carried toward the distal ends of the shafts until such time as it reaches that point at which the space between the shafts corresponds in width to the greatest diameter of the head. Here the screw will be permitted to drop between the-shafts into the compartment of the bin 71 immediately below. It is obvious that the smaller screws will drop intothe compartments adjacent the head end of the-machine, whereas the larger screws will be carried toward the other end and dropped intd bins at a distance'frouithe head-end'propor-' tionate to the size of the screws.

Due to the reciprocation of the feeding hopper 48, the screws will be supplied to the sorting shafts in successive periods; and due to the operation of the feeding drum 46, only a relatively small number vofscrews will be deposited upon. the sorting shafts for each reciprocation of the feeding hopper 48. This feature prevents clogging the machine by depositing uponthe feeding rollers, too great a number of screws or whatever other type of article is being sorted. i

It is to be understood that the details of th I claim:

1. A sorting machine comprising a pair of J slightly divergent rotatable members, means .for rotating said members ih opposite directions, a drum rotatable about an axis approxi-- adapted to receive and discharge articles tobe sorted between the proximal ends of said rotatable members, means for rotating sald drum, a hopper adapted to receive articles to be sorted and feed them against the side of the drum, and means for periodically tilting the hopper. p

2. A screw sorting machine comprising a pair of shafts having helical grooves of opposite pitch, the distance between opposed grooves on the shaft gradually increasing along the-lengths of the shafts, means for rotating said shafts in oppositedirections, a drum rotatable about an axis approximately parallel to the axis of the shafts, said drum having a groove formed thereon ada ted to receive articles to be sorted and deposlt them as an elongated mass vbetweenthe proximal ends of the shafts, means for rotating the drum,-a hopper pivotally mounted for movement about the axis of rotation of the drum adapted to feed articles against the side of the drum, and means for lifting the swinging end ofthe hopper periodically.

3. A screw sorting machine comprising a pair of shafts having helical grooves of opposite pitch, the distance between opposed grooves on the shaft gradually increasing along the length of the shafts, means for rotating the shafts in opposite directions, a drum driven by one of the shafts and rotatable about 'an axis approximately parallel to the axis of the shafts, said drum havin a groove formed thereon adapted to recelve articles to be sorted and deposit them as an movement about the axis of rotation of the drum, said hopper being'adapted to feed .\articles against the side of the drum, and means driven by one of the shafts for cansin thehopper to be tilted periodically.

n testimony whereof I have signedmy name to this specification.

NONIE E. 'FIELDER.

invention as herein disclosed, are subject to alteration within the spirit or scope of the appended claims. 

